Net Calories vs. Actual Calories

ashleycosta
ashleycosta Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
if i am on a 1200 calorie diet and burn 600 calories with cardio and/or strength training should i be eating those extra 600 calories to stay at 1200?

i have attempted to do research on this and everyone says something different!!

i am currently on Nutrisystem, i eat around 1520 calories a day and burn 662 leaving me with a net of only 858.

i have been doing this for 21 days now and have only lost 3lbs :(
i am 5'3 at 153lbs and want to be at 123-130lbs

could my lack of net calories be my problem?
should i really eat MORE calories to stay at 1200?

Please feel free to review my diary and see what i eat and let me know your thoughts!
i feel confident in my eating habits as i follow the Nutrisystem plan closely and have started exercising.

i really feel something must be wrong if i only lost 3 lbs in 21 days.
(plus certain days i gain those 3lbs back and lose them over the next 2 days and then they come back!!!)

Replies

  • jayjay12345654321
    jayjay12345654321 Posts: 653 Member
    Your diary is closed to the public.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    That is actually a good loss. It averages out to 1 pound per week. You really shouldn't be trying to lose more per week at your current weight.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    You should be netting at least your BMR, even more than that if you're active. It sounds like your quick weight gain is due to undereating.

    If I were you, I'd up my calories significantly, take the initial weight gain and then work on slowly dropping body fat by maintaining lean mass.

    10-20% less than your TDEE will do this.
  • nancyluckhurst3
    nancyluckhurst3 Posts: 122 Member
    First off as I see it you only have 23--27 lbs to lose. The heavier you are the faster you will lose in the beginning. You are headed in the right direction. Remember weight loss is a marathon not a sprint. With only that small amount to lose I would say you are just about right on for weight loss. You didn't put it on overnight and you aren't going to take if off overnight. This should be about life changes in the way you eat and exercise. You are doing fine. You will also reach plateaus where you might go for a couple of weeks and just maintain. I don't know how old you are but if you are of child bearing age you have to remember Mother nature has a way of waging war on you periodically and therefore you may be retaining some water weight from time to time.

    Settle down and relax go with the flow and be happy if you get on the scales every week and you are heading in the right direction.
    if i am on a 1200 calorie diet and burn 600 calories with cardio and/or strength training should i be eating those extra 600 calories to stay at 1200?

    i have attempted to do research on this and everyone says something different!!

    i am currently on Nutrisystem, i eat around 1520 calories a day and burn 662 leaving me with a net of only 858.

    i have been doing this for 21 days now and have only lost 3lbs :(
    i am 5'3 at 153lbs and want to be at 123-130lbs

    could my lack of net calories be my problem?
    should i really eat MORE calories to stay at 1200?

    Please feel free to review my diary and see what i eat and let me know your thoughts!
    i feel confident in my eating habits as i follow the Nutrisystem plan closely and have started exercising.

    i really feel something must be wrong if i only lost 3 lbs in 21 days.
    (plus certain days i gain those 3lbs back and lose them over the next 2 days and then they come back!!!)
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    Hiya, 3 lbs in 3 weeks is a perfectly good progress, congratulations! Don't rush it or you will sacrifice some good muscle along the way, and will end up skinny-fat.

    if you follow the MFP format of NET calories, yes you should eat your exercise calories back. Your body needs fuel to function properly and be able to shed the fat. 3

    Please figure out your TDEE based on your actual figures. Add up all the calories eate over the last 21 days, add to it the 3lbsx3500calories (10500) and average it per day. This is your TDEE for your current activity. Take down 500 calories and if you're not below 1200, I would say go ahead with that number. recalculate on wekkly/biweekly/monthly basis as it suits you. Once you are about10 lbs from your goals, you should go even slower, at about 250 deficit.

    You are shorter than I am so it may well be the calculation above will be below 1200 but doubt it. If it is, I would not recommend going lower, as at that number it is hard to get proper amount of nutrients.

    I don't know what nutrisystem is, but I would recommend you take up strength training if you havent already. It will do wonders for your shape and help you maintain lean muscle.

    Last but not least, a couple of links that may be of interest:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1088600-dear-mean-people-of-mfp
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/310489-the-reason-why-starving-yourself-will-not-work
  • ashleycosta
    ashleycosta Posts: 3
    Thank you everyone! that was really helpful! i did not think 3lbs was a good loss!
    i am going to up my calorie intake and continue to work out with some added strength training and hope for the best!
  • ashleycosta
    ashleycosta Posts: 3
    Your diary is closed to the public.

    OOPs! didnt even know that was possible! it is unlocked now :)
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    Friday and Tuesday were decent days for you in terms of calorie intake. Tuesday was great for protein, and Thursday and Friday were at the lower end of what I'd recommend for an active individual, especially someone undertaking strength training.

    Try to consistently hit your calorie goal if you've been sedentary all day, but if you've done some cardio and added that to your diary, eat back around 50-80% of what MFP gives you as an extra calorie goal. There's no general calorie burn for heavy strength training, so around here we usually recommend just eating around 10-20% less than TDEE depending on how much weight you want to lose.

    There are lots of calculators available to estimate your TDEE, but I prefer a little bit of maths and using this post from bb.com: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380183

    It explains the importance of the individual macros quite well.

    There's also a lot of threads around here on how to get started with strength training. Search for Starting Strength or Stronglifts, or NROL (New Rules of Lifting) to get a good idea of the most beneficial routines.

    1lb a week is a very good sustainable loss, so aim for that, but don't be disappointed if you manage more like 1lb every 2 weeks.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    You should be eating back your exercise calories

    You should not eat less then your BMR

    Google scoobys calculator and it will give you your BMR (lowest number of calories you need to maintain health, this number assumes you are laying in bed all day doing nothing) and you TDEE ( this is the number that includes exercise calories and is how many calories you'd eat to maintain your weight)

    Eat 10%-20% below your TDEE and you'll lose weight and maintain health.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    As others have said, 1 lb. per week is a great loss.

    That said, if you think you were netting only 858 calories, you're either overestimating exercise burn, underestimating what you ate, or both. A loss of 1 lb. equals a deficit of about 500 calories per day. That would put your maintenance calories (total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE) at 1358 calories. There is no way an active, healthy adult can maintain his or her weight at that level, though an older, petite, sedentary woman might.

    I'd recommend reading this link:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    And actually, the links in this post are all more or less useful:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    Good luck with your future progress!
  • lizless1
    lizless1 Posts: 10 Member
    track your sodium. Sodium causes water retention which could make you gain/loose several pounds per day. Salt is everywhere!
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    Thank you everyone! that was really helpful! i did not think 3lbs was a good loss!
    i am going to up my calorie intake and continue to work out with some added strength training and hope for the best!

    fantastic! It is refreshing to meet someone who has an open mind and takes away some great points! Good luck!

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